More than half of social care professionals believe a social insurance scheme is needed to fund the reform of care and support services. A further 27% say perhaps it is needed to raise adequate funds, but they fear it would prove too unpopular with the public.

A group of care homes in Sussex have installed iris recognition technology – similar to that used in airport security control – in a bid to monitor and record the movement of its staff.

A Government scheme aimed at boosting the number of social care workers is looking to fill 250 jobs across the Bradford district.

A child-protection service has been condemned after a 12-year-old was left with no schooling for two years.

Campaigners fighting controversial plans to open a home for troubled teenage boys in Portishead are to meet Ofsted chiefs this week.

A READING University decision to shut a thriving social work department could have a “catastrophic” impact.

A DISGUSTED judge has condemned social workers for ­failing a three-year-old girl who was abused by her father from just months after she was born.

Local authorities today launched a campaign to persuade 5,000 social workers to come out of retirement to tackle a child protection staffing crisis in the wake of the Baby P controversy.

Macmillan Cancer Support is offering 48 online courses as an alternative to face-to-face training for 4,000 health and social care staff.